Eugene's JinxProof Institution
by Jemascola
Summary: Eugene moves into a JinxProof Institution after a doctor found a radioactive force that caused him to be prone to accidents.
1. I'm Okay

Eugene's Jinx-Proof Institution

A/N: The _Hey Arnold_ characters belong to Craig Bartlett, not me. Also, this story is based on a TV show idea I thought of 4 years ago. I tried sending the idea to Craig Bartlett by e-mail, but I didn't have the right e-mail, and the idea was obviously not turned into a TV segment. Therefore, I decided just to put the story on the fan-fiction site.

Chapter 1: I'm Okay

Eugene Horowitz stepped out of his red apartment house on a lovely morning. He started walking down the steps that led to the crumbling sidewalks. As he was about to get on the last step, he tripped and screamed as his body rushed toward the ground, tumbling quickly. His face hit the sidewalk hard. "Ow!" he cried. "I'm okay."

Eugene lived in Brooklyn, New York, and his apartment house was crammed between a dozen other apartment houses on the block. There was a lot of traffic on both the roads and the sidewalks. Several people passing by stepped on his head. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" Eugene said in a muffled voice when the people stepped on him. Finally, he muttered a weak, "I'm okay."

It took him a moment, but Eugene finally got up and began to walk down the sidewalk to school. He was used to getting hurt on a daily basis. It all started when he was in preschool, and it never ceased to haunt him since then. Nobody was ever sure why Eugene got in so many accidents, but they just shrugged it off and thought that maybe he would grow out of it.

Suddenly, Eugene felt as though he were being jerked downward. He instantly realized that he went through a sewer hole. "Agh!" he screamed as he hit the cement floor covered with filthy sewer water. Eugene got up and spit out the germ filled water. "I'm okay," he cried. He went up the ladder and got back on the street, where he continued to walk until he arrived at his school, P.S. 118.

As usual, all the elementary school students congregated on the sidewalk that surrounded P.S. 118. Some were even playing in the playground in the back of the school. P.S. 118 was a brick two-story school and was basically like a big block building. Stone steps led up to the entrance. A sign that said "P.S. 118, Established 1932" hung over the brown double-doors.

Eugene walked over to his friends, Arnold and Gerald, who were casually chatting with each other.

Arnold was Caucasian and had a football-shaped head, and he had two thick locks of hair that stuck out on opposite sides of his head. A small, blue baseball cap sat in the middle of his head. Arnold often dressed in a unique manner. He had a turquoise sweater, but underneath was a red flannel shirt that stuck out from underneath the sweater. That made him look like he were wearing a kilt. Gerald was African-American and had a tall black afro. Gerald often dressed in a red sports T-shirt with the number 33 on it in white.

"Hey, guys," Eugene said as he approached the two. "Whoa!" shouted Eugene as he tripped on one of the cracks in the sidewalk and fell down. His head smacked the ground hard. A shattering sound was heard, and when Eugene opened his mouth, it was revealed that he had broken one of his two front teeth. "I'm okay," he groaned.

"We'd better get you to the nurse," Arnold said. "It looks like you broke a tooth."

"Yeah. I think I may have broken it last month as well," Eugene said. "Or maybe it was last Tuesday. I really can't remember."

"You really seem to get in a lot of accidents, Eugene. It's like there's some weird, mystical force that's making you prone to such dangers," Gerald said in an eerie tone.

"Be quiet, Gerald," Arnold said. "There's no mystical force, Eugene. You just have to be more careful, that's all."

"Well, okay…" Eugene said.

"Come, on, let's go to the nurse," Arnold said, helping Eugene up. Arnold and Gerald gathered the tiny shards of Eugene's tooth and took them along to the nurse. The three entered P.S. 118 and went through the halls. The walls on the side were white cement blocks, and their age was showing, as many of the blocks were chipping. There was a lot of graffiti on some walls in the school. The green lockers also seemed to be aged. Many were rusted, and some looked bashed in. Many of the lockers were in such bad shape that they didn't even work. The only part of the halls that looked good were the shiny green and orange tiled floors.

Arnold, Gerald, and Eugene entered the nurse's office, which was a few doors down the hall from the entrance. The nurse's office was a small room with white cement blocks. Several health-related posters hung around the room. In the front of the room to the left, there was a little dark niche with access to a bathroom and a shower. There was a brown counter and brown cabinets on the left side of the room with all sorts of medical supplies. In the back left corner of the room was a brown desk with office supplies on it. In the back right corner was an instrument used to measure height and weight. In the front right corner was a brown leather cot. A nurse stood by the door. "Hello, what can I help you with today?" asked the elderly nurse. She was big-boned and had a beauty mark on her left check and had gray hair. She wore a white uniform.

"Eugene had another accident…again," Gerald said.

"Not to mention the fact that I had a few accidents on the way to school," Eugene said. Arnold, Gerald, and the nurse looked shocked at him.

"What happened?" Arnold asked.

"Well, I was walking out of my house, when I tripped down one of the steps to my house. Then, several people walked all over me, and then, I fell in a sewer. Then, when I got to school, I tripped and broke my tooth," Eugene sighed. Gerald showed the shards of Eugene's tooth to the nurse.

"Oh my goodness," the nurse said. "That sounds terrible! We must get you to a dentist right away to see if your tooth can be glued back together." The nurse went to the brown desk and picked up a red phone. She dialed the number for an emergency dental hospital. When the hospital answered, the nurse said, "Hello, I am a nurse at P.S. 118, and I have a young boy with me that just broke his tooth. It's all shattered. We need to get his tooth fixed as soon as possible. Thank you, goodbye," the nurse said as she hung up the phone. Then, she turned to Eugene. "Well, an ambulance will show up in a few minutes. You'll be going to get your tooth taken care of."

"How long will it take?" Eugene asked.

"I don't know, but you'll probably have to miss a day of school. The process of restoring or replacing your tooth will probably take a while," the nurse said.

Eugene sat down on the brown cot, and the nurse got a plastic bag from the counter. Gerald gave her the pieces, and she dumped them in the bag and zipped it shut. Arnold, Gerald, Eugene, and the nurse waited until the ambulance came.

Several minutes later, a siren was heard outside, and Arnold, Gerald, Eugene, and the nurse left the school to get in the ambulance. The ambulance was waiting by the sidewalk. By now, most of the students had already entered the school. The ones that still remained, though, looked at the ambulance with curiosity. When they saw Eugene coming out with Arnold, Gerald, and the nurse, they seemed to realize that it was just another one of Eugene's freak accidents. Arnold, Gerald, and the nurse helped Eugene into the back of the ambulance, where the paramedics had him lie down on a white cot in the back. The ambulance sirens whirred, and the ambulance drove off to the hospital.

Suddenly, the school bell rang. Arnold, Gerald, the nurse, and the other remaining kids outside rushed into the school.

"Uh oh, we're late!" Gerald said.

"I hope Eugene is okay," Arnold said.

"Relax, Arnold," Gerald said. "He just broke a tooth, that's all. He's been in worse accidents before. Still, it makes you wonder if there's some sort of curse on him."

"Gerald, there is no curse," Arnold said for the last time. Then, Arnold and Gerald rushed into Mr. Simmons's classroom. They hoped that their easy-going teacher would understand why they were late.

"Boys, the bell just rung," Mr. Simmons said. "Why are you late?" he asked. Mr. Simmons was a bit lean, and he wore a green sweater and a white-collar shirt underneath. He was bald and had light brown hair at the sides.

"Eugene had another accident, and Gerald and I took him to the nurse to help him. The nurse called for an ambulance, and Eugene's already on his way to the hospital," Arnold said.

"Hospital?" Mr. Simmons said in a shocked tone. "That sounds pretty serious."

"Well, he broke a tooth after he fell down, so the nurse called for an emergency dental hospital so that they can either restore or replace his tooth," Arnold explained.

"Well, okay," Mr. Simmons said. "I sure hope Eugene will be okay." Arnold and Gerald shut the brown door and sat down in the two empty desks in the front of the classroom. Mr. Simmons began lecturing about the Louisiana Purchase, but Arnold and Gerald thought about other things. They were concerned about Eugene, as he'd been in so many accidents that it seemed unusual. Even though it may have just been coincidence, the boys slowly began to think that maybe there was more to Eugene's prone to accidents than they realized.


	2. More Accidents

A/N: The _Hey Arnold_ characters belong to Craig Bartlett, not me. Also, this story is based on a TV show idea I thought of 4 years ago. I tried sending the idea to Craig Bartlett by e-mail, but I didn't have the right e-mail, and the idea was obviously not turned into a TV segment. Therefore, I decided just to put the story on the fan-fiction site.

Chapter 2: More Accidents

The next morning, Arnold and Gerald rode the blue bus to arrive at school. When the bus stopped at the school, they got out and stood in the sidewalk. When the bus drove off, they noticed that Eugene was back. He had missed school the previous day, so it must have taken a lot of time to take care of his tooth.

Eugene walked over and smiled, "Hey, guys."

Arnold noticed that the gap in Eugene's mouth was now filled again. "Hey, Eugene. Did they fix your tooth?"

"Nope," Eugene said. "The pieces were too small and delicate to bother with, so they just decided to give me a false tooth. This one's plastic," Eugene said.

"Uh…neat," Arnold said.

"Yeah," Eugene said. "Today, I'll try to be more careful."

Then, Arnold, Gerald, and Eugene walked up the steps to the school and walked down the halls. They entered Mr. Simmons's classroom just as the bell rung. They sat down in their usual seats.

Mr. Simmons, who was sitting at his brown desk, stood up and greeted the class. "Good morning, class! Today, we're going to be studying gravity. We've got Principal Wartz's permission to go to the top of the building and throw down objects to see the effect gravity has on them." The class cheered. "Now, I've already got a bowling ball and a baseball that we can use. Let's think of some other items we can use." A fat boy named Harold raised his hand. "Yes, Harold?" Mr. Simmons asked.

"Let's throw Eugene! He's a jinx!" Harold yelled. Then, he cackled in laughter. Then, his accomplices, a tall, lean boy named Stinky and a shorter boy with stringy black hair named Sid, laughed as well.

Mr. Simmons laughed lightly. "Very funny, Harold," he said.

"No, I mean it!" Harold said.

"Harold, we are not going to throw Eugene off the building," Mr. Simmons said sternly.

"Aww man," Harold sighed sadly.

Stinky raised his hand. "Yes, Stinky?" Mr. Simmons said.

"How about this here cinder block?" Stinky said, picking up a large cinder block that he had under his desk.

"Stinky, why do you carry around a cinder block?" Mr. Simmons asked.

"I don't know," Stinky said.

"Well, nevertheless, it will work," Mr. Simmons said. "Anyone else have something we can throw off the building?" Nobody responded. "Okay, then, let's go," Mr. Simmons said. Everyone left the classroom and followed Mr. Simmons up some flights of stairs. Eventually, they reached the roof of the school. They looked down. The ground sure looked very far below.

Mr. Simmons called everyone to the front, and everyone gathered around and watched Mr. Simmons drop the bowling ball and baseball. "As you can see, although the bowling ball is larger and heavier, the baseball is still falling at the same speed. Who can tell me why?" Mr. Simmons asked. Then, a girl with black hair, glasses and a blue dress raised her hand. "Yes, Phoebe?" Mr. Simmons said.

"Well, Mr. Simmons, the reason is quite clear. You see…" she droned on. Mr. Simmons nodded his head attentively, but no one else was paying any attention.

Eugene looked over the edge of the school. "That's sure a long way down," he said. Suddenly, he felt his feet slip on the roof, and the next thing he knew, he'd accidentally thrown himself off the building. "AAAAGGGHHH!" screamed Eugene.

Everyone snapped his or her heads in the direction where they heard Eugene. They rushed over and saw that Eugene had fallen on the ground. "I'm okay," Eugene called. "But I can't move," he said.

"Oh my," Mr. Simmons said. "We'd better get an ambulance." He rushed down to the classroom to call for an ambulance.

The next day, Eugene rolled into the classroom in a wheelchair. Eugene was covered with casts. Mr. Simmons turned to Eugene. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Oh yeah," Eugene said. "The doctor says that I won't be able to walk for about six weeks, but after that, I'll be good as new!" Eugene said. He raised his arms, but then, he fell out of his wheelchair. More crunching sounds were heard. "Ow!" Eugene cried in pain.

"Are you okay, Eugene?" Mr. Simmons asked.

"No…" moaned Eugene.

Mr. Simmons went to his phone again and dialed for an ambulance. The ambulance arrived shortly, and Eugene was taken by stretcher into the ambulance. As the ambulance rushed to the hospital, Eugene began to think to himself. He had been in so many accidents ever since preschool, and there didn't seem to be any logical reason for it. Nobody else in class had so many accidents. It was a big mystery to him.

Many people at school had called him a jinx at least once. Arnold always backed him up, though, telling everyone that Eugene was not a jinx. Eugene always tried to believe Arnold, but now it was getting harder and harder to believe that. Eugene felt that perhaps he was a jinx after all, and there was something that was causing him to be a magnet for bad luck.


	3. The Diagnosis

A/N: The _Hey Arnold_ characters belong to Craig Bartlett, not me. Also, this story is based on a TV show idea I thought of 4 years ago. I tried sending the idea to Craig Bartlett by e-mail, but I didn't have the right e-mail, and the idea was obviously not turned into a TV segment. Therefore, I decided just to put the story on the fan-fiction site.

Chapter 3: The Diagnosis

Eugene slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a hospital room large enough to accommodate his hospital bed. He saw that a somewhat big-boned nurse with curly blonde hair, glasses, and bright red lipstick stood by him. "He's waking up," the nurse said. Then, a doctor with gray hair and glasses entered the room. Eugene's parents followed the doctor into the room.

"Are you okay?" Eugene's mother asked.

"Sort of," Eugene said weakly.

"Son, we've been concerned because you've been in so many accidents that it's nerve-wrecking. Not to mention that it's getting to be very expensive. So we're going to have the doctor here examine you to search for any possible medical imperfection that could be causing this...this…unusual accident prone-ness," Eugene's father said.

The doctor escorted Eugene out of bed, and he led Eugene through a long white hospital hall. At the end was a silver double-door, and the doctor and Eugene went through the doors. There was a very large room that had a big, silver machine that resembled an x-ray machine. There was a place on the wall across from it where someone could be clamped to. The doctor clamped Eugene down, and he operated the machine. Eugene had just waken up, and the doctor hadn't even explained to him what he was doing. Naturally, Eugene had no idea what was happening.

The machine made several high-pitched whirring noises that scared Eugene. Then, there were five big flashes of light. The doctor then unclamped Eugene from the wall and led him back to his hospital bed.

Several hours later, the doctor returned with Eugene's parents. "I have some very bizarre news regarding Eugene," the doctor said, holding some pictures taken from the fancy machine. Eugene's parents looked worried. They looked at the doctor to continue. The doctor held up the pictures. "I took pictures of his body using a new technology that allows us to inspect every aspect of the body. This includes seeing pictures of messages inside Eugene's brain, pictures of split personalities, and well, you get the idea. We were very glad to have this device with us, as I've finally determined what might be the cause of what is causing Eugene to be such a…" the doctor started. He almost said "jinx", but he didn't want to upset Eugene. He also didn't want to make his parents mad at him. "…Inclined to be in accidents on an unusually frequent basis," the doctor said. Eugene's parents waited for the explanation. "You see, I studied these photos, and it seems that there is some sort of radioactive force inside Eugene's entire body. I don't know how it got there or why it's there, but it's possible that the radioactive force is causing Eugene to be…a bad-luck magnet if you will. I don't see how a radioactive force can possibly cause bad luck, but it is the only bizarre thing I found in his body. In addition, nobody else has had a condition like this before, so I cannot be entirely sure that radioactivity _can't_ cause these problems."

"Poor Eugene," Eugene's father said, looking at Eugene, who looked very nervous. The doctor showed Eugene's parents the photos, and then, he put them away in a folder for future reference. "What do you suggest we do about it?" Eugene's father asked.

"Well, since nobody's ever seen anything like this before, we don't know much about it. Therefore, at this point, it can't be cured. However, if you want Eugene to be unharmed, then I would suggest to you to have him move into a new facility called the Jinx-Proof Institution. We have one right here in the city. It was built because there are hundreds of children all over the country that have been called jinxes by their peers. To save them from humiliation and accidents, hospitals from all over the country put their money together and built one. Eugene can stay there. Although it would be a big adjustment from his everyday lifestyle, it would certainly be good for his health," the doctor said.

"So, Eugene, what do you say?" Eugene's mother asked. "You can be free of accidents if you move in." Eugene's father, mother, and the doctor looked at him, waiting for his decision.

Eugene was a little bit nervous. He was unsure what to think. He was happy that he could go to a place where he would never worry about getting in an accident. However, he realized that he would probably have to leave school and leave all his friends. It was a tough decision for Eugene. He had to spend time thinking about it. "Uh, can you come back later when I've made my decision?" Eugene asked.

"Sure," the doctor said. "Come on, let's leave Eugene alone so that he can think about this," the doctor said, escorting Eugene's parents out of the room. "You can wait in the waiting room until Eugene has made up his mind." The doctor shut the door, and now, Eugene was alone in the room.

Eugene could think better now that he was alone. Nobody was staring at him, so he could think at an easier pace. He no longer looked as worried. However, the issue still plagued him. "Should I go to the Jinx-Proof Institution, or should I keep my current life and keep on getting hurt?" thought Eugene. He then decided to weigh the outcomes again. "If I go to the Jinx-Proof Institution, I won't get hurt anymore. However, I will lose all my friends, and the doctors will probably treat me like I'm a sensitive medical patient. If I don't go to the Jinx-Proof Institution, then I will live an essentially normal life and keep my friends. However, I will continue to get hurt on a regular basis. Which is more important to me now?" wondered Eugene. Eugene thought and thought. It was very burdensome. Finally, though, he reluctantly decided to move into the Jinx-Proof Institution. He was so tired of getting into accidents. It was very predictable for him. He got in at least one accident every day, and that was on a good day. He thought he would at least give it a try for a little while to see how he liked it.

Eugene pressed the button on his hospital bed to call in a nurse. Then, a moment later, the same nurse he saw before entered the room. "Hello, how can I help you?" she asked sweetly.

"Can you get the doctor and my parents?" Eugene asked. "Tell them that I've made my decision about the Jinx-Proof Institution."

"Certainly," the nurse said. She headed out the door and went down the hall. A few minutes later, the doctor and Eugene's parents came into the room.

"So, Eugene, what's your decision?" Eugene's father asked.

Eugene was silent for a moment, and then, he said, "I've decided to go to the Jinx-Proof Institution." The room was silent for a while, and then, the doctor and Eugene's parents congratulated him on making a good decision. Then, the doctor explained to Eugene and his parents what the Jinx-Proof Institution would be like. He told them about all the procedures, costs, etc. Eugene's parents realized that it would be somewhat expensive, but it was worth it to keep their boy safe. It was now official. Eugene was going to the Jinx-Proof Institution. This would be an event that would change his life…at least in the near future. Eugene hoped that he could handle it.


	4. Life At the JinxProof Institution

A/N: The _Hey Arnold_ characters belong to Craig Bartlett, not me. Also, this story is based on a TV show idea I thought of 4 years ago. I tried sending the idea to Craig Bartlett by e-mail, but I didn't have the right e-mail, and the idea was obviously not turned into a TV segment. Therefore, I decided just to put the story on the fan-fiction site.

Chapter 4: Life At the Jinx-Proof Institution

Word quickly spread among Eugene's friends that Eugene soon was leaving home and moving into the Jinx-Proof Institution. Everyone seemed shocked and sad that he would no longer go to school with them. On the bright side, though, they were glad that he would no longer be in any accidents. In addition, they had visitation rights to see him at the Jinx-Proof Institution once a week.

Eugene would not move into the institution right away, though. His body still had to heal from the damage it had taken from the previous occasions. The doctors estimated that Eugene probably would not set foot in the institution for roughly 6 months. This was to ensure that he had fully recovered from his recent accidents. Once he was healthy, he would quickly be transferred to the institution.

At school, Eugene moving was the buzz. Everyone was constantly talking about it. At this moment, the students were in Mr. Simmons's classroom talking about it.

"I'm sure going to miss Eugene," Stinky said.

"Yeah. He got in a lot of accidents, but he was still pretty cool. At least we know he'll be safe now," Sid said.

"See, Arnold, I told you. The boy is a jinx. You didn't believe me, but the doctor found that thing in his body that's causing him to be bad luck," Gerald said.

"Well," sighed Arnold, "maybe you were right this time. However, that still doesn't mean I'll believe any of your other supernatural stories."

"Arnold," Gerald said, "how many urban legends have I told? And how many of them were true?" Gerald was sure that most of his urban legends were true.

"Let's see," Arnold said. "You've told about 11 urban legends, and none of them were ever true."

"How do you know?" challenged Gerald.

"Let's talk about this later," Arnold said. "Right now we're concerned about Eugene…not whether or not your urban legends are true." The boys continued to chat about Eugene and hoped that he would be okay.

Time lapse: 6 months later

Eugene's doctor rolled him out of the hospital in a wheelchair. Eugene's health had rebounded, but the doctor rolled him in a wheelchair to ensure that Eugene didn't trip and get in another accident.

Eugene was rolled into an ambulance. His wheelchair was strapped down, and Eugene was strapped into the wheelchair. A nurse with brown hair stood by Eugene just in case he managed to get involved in another accident. The ambulance drove off slowly and steadily to the Jinx-Proof Institution.

About an hour later, the ambulance stopped at a large, brick 10 floor building. Pretty green grass surrounded the building, and there were some nice bushes in the front. The nurse rolled Eugene out of the ambulance, and he gazed up at the Jinx-Proof Institution. He saw the sign at the top of the building. The sign said, "The Brooklyn Jinx-Proof Institution." Eugene went up the ramp that led to the building. Then, he was rolled down a nice, purple carpeted hallway. The hall was narrow and had white walls. Eugene passed a window that looked into a large, open playroom with an extremely high ceiling.

"That is the visitor's window. That's where a visitor can talk to the patients," the nurse explained as she rolled Eugene down the hall. Finally, she opened a door at the end of the hall on the left. There was a long corridor, which was actually a big bathroom. She rolled Eugene all the way through, and then, she entered a simple room with over 20 beds. The nurse took Eugene to one of the beds near a door to the left. The bed had a sign that said, "Eugene Horowitz" on it. "This is your bed," the nurse said. Then, she opened the door to the left, and Eugene smiled when he saw it.

The room was the same big one that Eugene saw through the visitor's window. The ceiling was very high, and the room had many windows, although they all were covered with many layers of thick plastic sheets. At the top of the ceiling, there were several silver steel beams. There were many wires attached to poles at the ceiling as well. Eugene saw that the wires were attached to other patients in the room. They were in large, bulky braces and were playing. Eugene was also awed at the number of doctors and nurses in the room. It seemed like there were nearly 100 of them!

"Wow," Eugene said. "I can't wait to go in there!"

"Not just yet," the nurse said. "We have to fit you with some things to make sure that you don't get hurt." The nurse wheeled Eugene out of the room with the beds, through the bathroom, and back into the main hall. She opened a door across from the bathroom. Eugene was wheeled in.

The room was large and had poles with coat hangers. The coat hangers had rubber suits. In the back of the room were metal braces, poles, steel cables, and other types of equipment.

The nurse then took Eugene out of the wheelchair and told him to remove his shirt and pants. Eugene did so. Then, she measured Eugene and found a red-pink rubber suit his size. Eugene put on the rubber suit, and the nurse connected it to a pump. She inflated the suit with a little bit of air. Then, she connected Eugene to a metal walker with wheels. It went around his body. Then, the nurse got several steel cables and flexible metal poles. Then, the nurse guided Eugene to the large room with all the other children. The nurse attached several flexible metal poles and steel cables to Eugene and the walker. The nurse then momentarily left to press a button on the wall. Instantly, some objects lowered to the ground. They were used to hold the steel cables and flexible metal poles. The nurse attached the steel cables and metal poles to the objects. Then, she pressed the button again, and the steel cables and metal poles rose upward. Eugene was now connected more to the ceiling.

"Oh, Eugene, your family sent some of your possessions. Do you want to see them right now?" the nurse asked.

"Not right now," Eugene said. "I want to play for a while." Then, the nurse left, and Eugene went up to a group of children who were playing baseball. Eugene asked if he could join in, and both captains agreed. Eugene played in the outfield, and he caught several balls. He nearly tripped many times, but his fancy equipment saved him from the accidents. Things finally were looking up for Eugene. Now, perhaps he would no longer have to deal with accidents on a daily basis.

Time lapse: 1 month later

Eugene had already become accustomed to the Jinx-Proof Institution. The meals tasted good, the children were nice, as were the doctors and nurses. Best of all, Eugene didn't have a single accident since entering the Jinx-Proof Institution. Eugene did not think that he missed his old life of accidents and being ridiculed. At least that's what he thought at the moment.

Arnold just happened to enter the building, and he walked down the main hall and stopped at the visitor's window. There was a nurse with glasses and curly red hair. "My name is Arnold, and I'm one of Eugene's friends. I would like to talk to Eugene if he's available," Arnold said.

"Sure, he's right in here," the nurse said. "I'll get him. Eugene! You've got a visitor!" the nurse said.

"A visitor?" Eugene said excitedly. "This is the first one I've gotten!" Eugene rolled over to the visitor's window to Arnold. He was glad to see Arnold. Arnold was probably one of the nicest friends he ever had. "Hey, Arnold!" Eugene said excitedly.

"Hey, Eugene," Arnold said. "How are you doing?"

"Great, Arnold!" Eugene said enthusiastically. "I haven't had a single accident since I moved here! This environment is completely controlled, and practically nothing can go wrong. Moving here has been one of the greatest things that ever happened to me! This rubber suit is really great because it's inflated with a little bit of air, so I can bounce really high!" Eugene demonstrated by bouncing very high. "Wee!" he yelled as he reached the ceiling.

Suddenly, something unexpected happened. Eugene's walker fell apart, and the flexible metal poles and steel cables disconnected from the walker. Eugene was still wearing the rubber suit, but that was probably not enough to save him from another accident. "Oh, boy," thought Eugene. "I'm going to have an accident…again." Then, he started to fall downward rapidly. Suddenly, four doctors noticed Eugene's predicament and they rushed to the place where he was falling. Just before Eugene hit the ground, the doctors caught him.

Eugene was saved! Both Arnold and Eugene were amazed. It really seemed that Eugene no longer would get hurt. The doctors called some other doctors to get more equipment. A few minutes later, a doctor came in with more equipment. The doctors hooked Eugene back up to the flexible metal poles and steel cables. They put him back in an identical walker, and then, they went back to supervise everyone else.

Eugene went over to the visitor's window. Arnold looked happy and stunned. "Wow, Eugene! It seems that you're really protected from your bad luck!" Arnold said.

"Yeah, Arnold," Eugene said. "When I was up there, I thought I was going back to having bad luck. However, the doctors caught me, and I was safe from yet another potential accident! It's almost impossible for me to get hurt here!"

"Well, that's great, Eugene!" Arnold said.

Arnold and Eugene continued to talk for a while longer. At last, Arnold left, and Eugene went back to bouncing around and having fun. Arnold had been there for about an hour, and Eugene was really glad to see him again. It had been a long time since he saw any of his old friends. In some ways, he felt that he was beginning to miss his old life. However, Eugene knew that he had to move on from his old life. After all, he no longer got in accidents thanks to the Jinx-Proof Institution.


	5. The Sad Day

A/N: The _Hey Arnold_ characters belong to Craig Bartlett, not me. Also, this story is based on a TV show idea I thought of 4 years ago. I tried sending the idea to Craig Bartlett by e-mail, but I didn't have the right e-mail, and the idea was obviously not turned into a TV segment. Therefore, I decided just to put the story on the fan-fiction site.

Chapter 5: The Sad Day

Later that evening, Arnold returned to the brick boarding house where he lived with his grandparents, Phil and Pookie. They were old, but that did not prevent them from being active.

Phil was 81 years old, but he could still bench press over 200 pounds! He usually wore a white T-shirt with red suspenders. He was bald, but the hair he had remaining was gray. He enjoyed fishing and chess.

Pookie had gray hair and usually wore a green dress and a white apron. In Arnold's opinion, Pookie was very strange. She often pretended to be strange different characters, and sometimes, she acted like a warrior. Pookie really liked martial arts, and Arnold learned some self-defense moves from her.

Arnold opened the door to the boarding house, where he entered an entry hall that really showed its age. The wallpaper had been there for as long as Arnold could remember. That was true of the whole boarding house. In the time that Arnold lived at the boarding house, he had never witnessed any renovation whatsoever. The boarding house looked like some place out of the 1940s.

Arnold walked straight ahead, where the kitchen was. He saw Phil at the table reading the newspaper. "Hey, short man," Phil said. "Did you see your friend today?"

"Yeah," Arnold said. "He seems really happy at the institution. He doesn't seem to be in any accidents anymore."

"That's good to hear," Phil said. "Do you want any supper?"

"No, that's okay. After I visited Eugene, I went to Gerald's house. We had some hot dogs and Coke, so I'm not really hungry," Arnold said.

"Okay, then," Phil said.

"Good night, Grandpa," Arnold said.

"Night, short man," Phil said.

Arnold left the kitchen and went to the foot of the stairs and went up. He then turned left and ran to the end of the hall. On the ceiling was a door to his attic room. Arnold pulled down the string. The aging door groaned as Arnold pulled it open. Arnold climbed up the stairs that popped out of the door. Then, Arnold opened a door that was concealed by the ceiling door. Arnold opened it, and he entered his fancy room.

Arnold's room was probably the fanciest in the whole boarding house. It had bright colors on the walls and floor. Arnold had pictures of himself and of Phil and Pookie hanging around his room. Arnold had all sorts of fancy stereo equipment. He even had his own TV and telephone. Arnold had a couch as well. The electronics and the couch could all be activated by a single remote control that Arnold kept on his desk, which was to the left. There was a bed to the right built into the walls surrounded by shelves filled with all sorts of baseball memorabilia. One of the nicest features of the room was the glass skylight ceiling. That really made the room look very fancy.

Arnold shut the door to his room, and he got dressed into his light blue pajamas. Then, he walked over to his desk and pressed a round gray button on the remote control. That shut all the lights off in his room. Arnold set the remote control on his desk, and he yawned. Arnold walked over to his bed and prayed. Then, he got in bed, and he fell asleep.

The next day, Arnold woke up and got dressed in his usual attire. He then went downstairs and sat down in the dining room to eat breakfast with the boarders. Afterward, he left and took a bus to go to school.

For some reason, Arnold didn't really feel happy. He didn't know why. He hadn't thought once that it could have been the fact that Eugene was missing. He sadly looked out the windows as the bus drove on to school.

When the bus stopped at school, Arnold got out and went inside. He entered Mr. Simmons's classroom, but he noticed that everyone seemed depressed just as he did. Arnold knew something wasn't right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Finally, his mind clicked. It was Eugene's absence! No wonder he felt so sad. It just wasn't the same at school with Eugene missing.

After school, Arnold, Gerald, Stinky, Sid, and Harold walked home together. They remained silent for most of the walk. Sid suddenly interrupted the silence and started the conversation.

"Hey, guys, do any of you miss Eugene?" he asked.

"Yeah, I kinda miss him," Harold said with a glum look on his face.

"Me too," Stinky said.

"Yeah," Gerald said. "Even though the kid was a jinx, at least it was good to have his company."

"I gave him a visit yesterday," Arnold said. "And he seems pretty happy at the institution. I don't think he wants to come back." Everyone sadly walked home. They were unaware at the moment that Arnold couldn't have been more wrong about Eugene.


	6. Second Thoughts

A/N: The _Hey Arnold_ characters belong to Craig Bartlett, not me. Also, this story is based on a TV show idea I thought of 4 years ago. I tried sending the idea to Craig Bartlett by e-mail, but I didn't have the right e-mail, and the idea was obviously not turned into a TV segment. Therefore, I decided just to put the story on the fan-fiction site.

Chapter 6: Second Thoughts

Later, on the evening of Arnold's sad day, Eugene laid in his bed alone in the dark room. He was firmly attached to the bed with metal braces, and the bed was attached to the floor with flexible metal anchors. Eugene was very sad. He was starting to think twice about moving into the Jinx-Proof Institution.

Everything was great for him since moving into the Jinx-Proof Institution. Eugene did not have to worry about accidents because everything was designed so precisely so that nothing could go wrong. However, Eugene no longer attended P.S. 118. He was educated by teachers that came to the Jinx-Proof Institution. He longed to go back to P.S. 118. He missed Mr. Simmons, Arnold, and all his friends. Even though Eugene had a rough life because he was teased for being a jinx and because he got in so many accidents, he still missed it. He was always optimistic despite his downfalls, and Arnold was always on his side.

Eugene wanted to tell the doctors and nurses that he wanted to leave the institution. However, he still was uncertain about leaving. His medical bills at home were extraordinarily high already, and they would skyrocket further if he left the institution.

Eugene spent another half hour debating the situation. Finally, he decided that he had to return home. He missed his old life and all his friends. Eugene called for a doctor, and one entered the room.

"I would like to leave, please," Eugene said. "I _really_ would like to go back to my house and my school."

"Are you sure?" the doctor asked.

"Definitely," Eugene said.

"Okay, then. We'll call your parents, talk it over with them, and then, you'll be out of here on Monday," the doctor said.

"Oh, thank you!" exclaimed Eugene. The doctor left the room. Eugene smiled broadly. He knew he was leaving soon. Eugene was well aware that he was likely to get in accidents again, but at least he would get to be around his old friends and school again.


	7. Home Sweet Home

A/N: The _Hey Arnold_ characters belong to Craig Bartlett, not me. Also, this story is based on a TV show idea I thought of 4 years ago. I tried sending the idea to Craig Bartlett by e-mail, but I didn't have the right e-mail, and the idea was obviously not turned into a TV segment. Therefore, I decided just to put the story on the fan-fiction site.

Chapter 7: Home Sweet Home

The following Monday, Eugene returned home. He took home his possessions that his parents sent to the institution. Eugene was moved back in at his house, and his parents were glad he was back. It was very lonely in the house without him.

Eugene also got involved in many more accidents again as he expected. However, he still went back to P.S. 118 and hung out with his friends. Despite all his misfortunes, he was glad to be back home. Best of all, none of the other kids seemed to tease him about being a jinx.


End file.
